Premier League clubs' income from shirt sponsorship has risen by 36 percent since last season, according to research by Repucom.
The European Football Jersey Report 2014-2015, released on Tuesday, shows sponsorship income rose from 570 million euros in 2013-14 to 687 million euros (over 20 percent) for the 2014-15 season in the top six European leagues.
.@premierleague and .@LigaBBVA have seen income from shirt sponsorship rise by over 30%: http://t.co/TBz7ofacs7 pic.twitter.com/j8m5qEbT8t
- Repucom (@Repucom) February 24, 2015
The largest increases were seen in the Premier League (36 percent) and La Liga (30 percent), with the English top flight's figures seeing a big increase largely due to Manchester United's deal with Chevrolet worth around $70 million (54 million euros). Over in Spain, Barca's deal with Qatar Airways is reportedly worth some $45 million (40 million euros).
There were also increases for Serie A (21 percent), Ligue 1 (13 percent) and the Bundesliga (9 percent), though the Eredivisie saw a decrease of 5 percent for the current campaign.
The figures represent another financial success for the Premier League following the announcement earlier this month of a new British TV rights deal worth 5.136 billion pounds for the 2016-19 seasons.
The rise in revenue has been largely driven by foreign investment with the United Arab Emirates becoming the biggest spender in terms of sponsorship. The fcbusiness Magazine estimates that the UEA and Qatar spent approximately 160 million euros combined, with Germany (112 million euros) and the U.S. (82 million euros) following.
Emirates airline sponsors the shirts of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, having also paid for the naming rights to the Gunners' stadium.
La Liga relies most heavily on foreign investment, with 86 percent of all shirt sponsorship revenue coming in from outside of Spain, while the Premier League receives 75 percent from outside England.
The Bundesliga (24 percent) and Eredivisie (19 percent) figures show both leagues rely more on domestic revenue streams, though MLS has now overtaken the Dutch league with sponsorship deals worth $55.8 million (42 million euros).
The fcbusiness Magazine quotes Glenn Lovett, president of global strategy at Repucom, as saying: "The rise in foreign money in European football is nothing new however investment in shirt sponsorship is increasing more rapidly than ever. With investment in 2014-15 growing 20 percent over last season, the investment in shirt sponsorship has increased faster than at any time in the last 15 years.
"As such, we are seeing a greater need from current brands, rights holders and broadcasters operating throughout European football to better understand the benefits and opportunities this presents. Foreign investment is big business but it is vital to understand how organisations can benefit."